Friday, September 26, 2014

Pickled mustard seed

We eat a lot of mustard. Despite a full shelf of mustard in the fridge, we seem to be constantly using up and buying more of the stuff (that golden-yellow, deliciously tangy stuff).

Imagine my excitement when I rediscovered a bunch of mustard recipes in my recipe folder. These were recipes that I'd found on Design Sponge about two years ago, in a post that had first sparked my interest in making mustard - and indeed, my dream of artisan mustard-making.

But it wasn't until a fortnight ago that I decided to actually make some damn mustard. Of the three recipes I had printed off, I only had the ingredients or easy access to the ingredients for one: 'Pickled mustard seed’. I assumed this was some kind of funky American name for whole seed mustard.

This proved incorrect.

Mustard in a jar
The mustard seed looks fairly adorbs (and actually a lot like standard wholeseed mustard) in this jar.
While tasting mostly unlike whole seed mustard, pickled mustard seed certainly has its place and - most importantly - is completely delicious.

After I'd made the pickle and discovered that I had something quite different to what I'd intended to make, I did some research to figure out what on earth you were supposed to do with it. Tossing the seeds through leafy greens was recommended, so we've been having pickled mustard seed with brussel sprouts and bacon as a side dish (Shannon's invention, and the logical extension of "leafy greens"). The pickle is supposed to be good with charcuterie too.

The pickled mustard seed looks very pretty in the jar, and the recipe is easy to make - so it could be a good thing to make for presents if you're planning ahead. I will add though, that if you're going to do that you'll want to go to the trouble of properly sterilising and sealing the jars (of course).

I just popped mine straight in the fridge. Don't be like me.

Mustard seed in a pot
Here it is on the stove! Why not admire my saucepan too.
Here's the recipe, cadged pretty directly from the original Design Sponge post.

Pickled Mustard Seed

Makes 2 1/2 cups

  • 1 cup yellow mustard seed (I used half brown and half yellow mustard seed)
  • 1 1/2 cups cider or white wine vinegar & 1/3–1/2 cup, divided
  • 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
  • 2 Tablespoons honey
  • 2 teaspoons turmeric

Rinse mustard seeds and quickly drain. Pour into non-reactive saucepan (I used an enamelled one), and add vinegar and salt. Allow to soak overnight or longer, uncovered and at room temperature.

The next day, stir in the honey and turmeric. Apparently you can add different flavourings here.

Bring the mixture to a simmer over a medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 15–20 minutes. The seeds will expand and the mixture will bubble and sputter like polenta, so stirring is important.

4. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature uncovered. Mixture will become thicker and denser.

5. Finally, stir in 1/3 to 1/2 cup more vinegar to thin the mixture and to freshen the flavor.

6. Store pickled mustard seed in jars, refrigerated, up to a year.

Note: Mustard seeds typically continue absorbing liquid for weeks. If the mixture becomes too dense, simply stir in a few spoonfuls of vinegar.

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